Although it's still in development, Absolver is shaping up to be a fantastic, combat-focused action game.

Absolver captures the mystique of martial arts, while retaining the humility and training tenets that define fighting disciplines. Absolver is a multiplayer-oriented, action-focused PC game set in a painterly, Asiatic world. Absolver's fights are never short or mindless affairs; every choice you make, every defensive move or offensive attack you execute, has incredible importance. You are engaged in a martial arts dance, constantly fighting your opponents for leads, and reading their moves and reactions to weave in attacks of your own. Scheduled for a 2017 release, information on the game's interwoven world is scarce, but combat is Absolver's core pillar, and it is mighty pillar indeed.

Fight for Your LifeFighting is the lifeblood of Absolver's world, so it is vitally important to know how to handle opponents who can force-feed you humble pie at every turn. In the co-op demo that I played with an Absolver developer, random non-player character (NPC) fighters haunted a dusty town, and challenged us to battles. I quickly learned that there is a tremendous amount of depth to Absolver's combat.

Every attack has a weighty animation tied to it. Committing to an attack has much more risk and reward than in other combat games, because your opponent can read and counter your moves. Additionally, every skill you use consumes stamina, so it is critical that you strategically attack and back off to save energy for moments when you need to defend yourself.

Absolver has a strict, time-based combo system that rewards you for properly timing your attacks. A gauge beneath your stamina gauge determines the exact moment when you should input your next attack. Successfully timing the attack shortens the recovery of the previous attack, making it much safer to deal damage to an opponent. Wanton button mashing leads to swift defeats.

Combo CreationAbsolver has a two-button combo system, and a fully customizable move set. In the status menu, you can alter the moves in your combo by selecting new ones from a list of available attacks. If you've played Capcom's classic PlayStation 2 beat 'em up, God Hand, this custom attack system should sound familiar. If your basic left jab, right hook, front kick template isn't cutting it for you, altering the sequence of these attacks, or switching them out entirely is easy to do, and is fundamental to Absolver's combat. You earn more moves by fighting and learning new martial arts, though how this process works has not been revealed yet.

The unique wrinkle in Absolver's system is fighting stances. You have four positional stances that you can cycle between, and each stance has its own combos. You can customize the attacks in each stance as you see fit, which greatly expands your arsenal. More importantly, some skills in your combo deck also shift your stance. For example, the heavy spin kick that I mapped to the Left Flank stance spun my character around after execution and put him in a Forward stance. It is important to consider these changes as you assign skills to your combo deck, so you don't screw up your assault during a hectic fight.

Parry the WorldBlocking is your default defensive skill. While blocking, you mitigate any damage taken from your front, at the cost of stamina. Blocking is relatively safe, but some attack skills are designed to guard-crush, so it is not without its weaknesses. That's where parrying comes into play.

Parrying is a more precise block that is executed by flicking the movement stick in the direction of an incoming attack, while tapping the block button. The timing is lenient, so you have a generous window to input a parry command. The trickiness comes from reading your opponent well enough to parry in the proper direction. Parrying stops opponents dead in their tracks, and give you an opening for an easy counter.

Sidestepping is the final defensive skill you'll need to master. The evasion moves you out of the way of most attacks, making it the safest defensive skill. The downside is that it also moves you out of attack range.

As I played, I found myself relying on blocking to deflect damage without losing my position. If my opponent wound up a heavy swing, I'd parry. If my character had low stamina, I would sidestep to avoid damage and recover. These maneuvers, in conjunction with my own offensive attempts, made for highly intense face offs.

Sparring With the WorldHow Absolver's interconnected world works is unknown at this point, but as the developer and I explored the sandy town, we found a gateway key near the central checkpoint. Later, we discovered a shortcut that led back to the checkpoint from the center of the level. Hopefully, the development team, Slocap, will reveal more traversal information in the near future.

You can drop into the world and aid or challenge other players, which makes the Absolver's world very dynamic. Anyone can be a potential ally, or a hostile threat. There is nothing stopping you from turning on another player, or aiding a fallen challenger if you so choose.

Combat isn't strictly hand-to-hand; you can draw weapons, too. Weapons have specialized moves, but I could not determine whether these moves could be altered like your standard deck, or if they have specific combos. I fiddled around with the sword for a bit, and came to grips with its moves very quickly. Weapons are great for giving yourself an advantage in battle, and can be pulled out at any time. But like all skills, weapons come at a cost. They deal good damage, but you can easily be disarmed of your weapon and left at a disadvantage if an opponent reads you well.

Fight for the FutureAbsolver has the makings of an excellent martial arts multiplayer game. Its combat system, while methodical and slower paced than most action games, has a wealth of strategy that competitive gamers can cut their teeth on. It is surprisingly satisfying to familiarize yourself with your opponent's stances and combos and dance around one another's attacks. I look forward to seeing how Absolver pans out in the coming months.

Read More

About the Author

Gabriel Zamora is as passionate about writing as he is about video games and electronics, and his fervor has led to game and tech article contributions in a variety of online publications including PCMag.com, Examiner.com, 2D-X.com, and Multiplayergames.com. When not criticizing the state of gaming or reviewing tech, Gabriel spends much of his time... See Full Bio

Get Our Best Stories!

This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.